Breathe
by csandralea
Summary: Grace looked rather irritated now, probably because I had just been staring at her like she was the center of the universe. Little did she know, to me, she was.
1. Preview

**A/N**: I got this idea a while back. This is just a teaser/preview. I will have the first chapter up tomorrow, as well as an update on Gravity. Let me know what you think. :)

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Preview: Breathe

Her name tag said 'Grace'. It was perfect. She was the most graceful thing he'd ever seen, and he watched as she slid his pack of gum over the scanner. I didn't even hear her when she gave me the total. Collin elbowed me back into reality, and I struggled for words.

"Your total. It's $7.59." Grace looked rather irritated now, probably because I had just been staring at her like she was the center of the universe. Little did she know, to me, she was.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** The first chapter is written in Seth's point of view. The rest of the story will be in mostly Grace's POV, probably with some of Seth's POV every so often. I'm not good at third person. I don't feel like I can get the feelings of the characters across well, and I just thoroughly suck at writing in third person. Also, I can't remember the ages of the characters, so just go with it. Annnd being that Seth is so young, I do seem him as still having that cocky teenage boy attitude.

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Breathe: Chapter 1

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I'm not sure why I let Collin and Brady convince me to come to Forks with them. Maybe it was because they were the newest and youngest members of the pack, and being the closest to their age, I related to them better than the older guys. They were both thirteen, and I had just turned fifteen. I knew it was hard for them to transition from being regular teenagers to being, well, wolves. You had to grow up overnight, and at thirteen, that couldn't be easy.

None of us could drive, well, legally, so we had phased to travel to Forks. I knew Leah wouldn't agree to drive us, and I wasn't going to ask mom. After all, how lame would it be to have your mom drop you off? I mean, really, I was too old for that kind of stuff. We had phased back and dressed in the woods, and now we were walking casually down the sidewalk, laughing and joking, and occasionally cat-calling to girls our age as we passed by. They would blush and turn away, which caused us to chuckle.

"Dude, I want some gum." This was Collin. The boy had an obsession with gum, that none of us could understand. He always had gum, and if he could chew it as a wolf, he would then, too.

"Dude, you always have gum." This time it was Brady, who elbowed his brother and caused him to stumble. "There's a gas station, we can get some there." Collin rubbed his side were Brady had elbowed him, but didn't say anything as we walked through the double doors into the store.

Collin lingered by the snacks, but Brady and I made our way back to the drinks. I picked up a Coke and a bag of chips, while he just grabbed a Mr. Pibb. We met Collin back at the front, by the only register in the store. The cashier's back was turned to us, and I caught Collin staring at her like a hungry wolf who'd just found food in the desert. She was petite, with long blonde and black hair, wearing a tiny floral print dress that showed off her curves perfectly. I knocked him out of the way and sat our items on the counter.

When she finally turned around to ring up our stuff, I froze.

Her name tag said 'Grace'. It was perfect. She was the most graceful thing he'd ever seen, and he watched as she slid his pack of gum over the scanner. I didn't even hear her when she gave me the total. Collin elbowed me back into reality, and I struggled for words.

"Your total. It's $7.59." Grace looked rather irritated now, probably because I had just been staring at her like she was the center of the universe. Little did she know, to me, she was.

Brady knocked me in the head, and I quickly pulled my wallet out my back pocket and handed her a ten. I watched as her beautiful fingers counted out my change. Our fingers brushed when she handed it to me, and every hair on my body stood on end. Collin and Brady practically drug me out of the store.

"What the hell was that?" They both chorused, looking at me like I was nuts,

"I think," I sighed and glanced back over my shoulder at the store, 'I think I just imprinted."


	3. Chapter 2

Breathe: Chapter 2

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I couldn't believe the nerve of that boy. The way he had just stared at me like some kind of creeper, and the odd tingle I'd felt when he'd brushed his fingers against mine. I knew he'd done it on purpose, and I quickly pulled my hand away and shoved his bag towards him. I watched them walk out, well, I watched the other two boys _drag_ him out, and then shook my head. Stupid boys.

I had four more hours before I could close up and go home, so I sat back down on the stool behind me. I had my personal laptop on the other counter, which is why I had had my back turned when they came up to the register. I had been home schooled by my mother when I was younger, and graduated the year before. Now I was attending online classes, and my boss was kind enough to allow me to work on my assignments at the store.

The rest of the day passed slowly, like always. The boys didn't come back, and I found myself thinking about _him_ again. They must have come from the reservation, because they were darker than any of the guys I'd seen around Forks. At eight o' clock, I started closing up the store. It had begun to drizzle outside, and I sighed. I didn't fancy walking home in the rain, even if it was only a few blocks.

I had just finished counting the money and closing up the register, and was packing up my laptop when I saw the headlights flash outside. I jumped, but it was probably just a passerby. I had already locked the doors and put up the closed sign, so I turned around to shoulder my laptop bag and grab my house keys. When I turned back around, I jumped and covered my mouth with my hand.

There was a thing silhouette at the door, and I moved back away from the counter. I was going to make a run for the back exit when the silhouette spoke, "Grace?"

I let out a deep breath and laughed. I knew that voice. Damn, I was too jumpy. I always had been, though. I quickly slipped through the doors to meet a smiling Alice. Yes, Alice Cullen. Our mothers were good friends, and since we shared an interest in fashion, we hit it off pretty well. We were quite the odd pair, but the kids around town had gotten used to it.

"I was in the area, thought you might need a ride." She smiled that knowing smile, and I wanted to hug her until her eyes popped out. I slipped into the passenger seat and buckled my seat belt. I knew I would need it with Alice driving.

"Thank you soooo much, Alice." I leaned my head back against the headrest and sighed. I hadn't worked a full shift in almost a week, and I was exhausted.

"No problem." She flashed me that dazzling white smile, and I found myself feeling the small twinge of jealousy I always felt around Alice. She was so incredibly beautiful, that when we'd first met, I had wondered why she was even my friend. "I heard you have an admirer."

"Alice, you know everything."

"I sure do. So what happened?"

"I don't know. He looked like a Quileute. He came in with two other guys and just stared at me like I was the only puddle in the desert." Alice laughed, a beautiful bell-like laugh, and I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest.

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Collin was the first through Emily's door, practically jumping all of the steps at once and busting through the door. I groaned when Brady followed him in, and they both yelled, "SETH IMPRINTED!" I was going to kill them. Was it really necessary to be _that_ immature? Oh, wait, they were thirteen. I slowly entered the living room to see nine pairs of eyes on me.


	4. Chapter 3

Breathe: Chapter 3

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(Grace)

It was just another normal day at the store. Sort of. It was a Monday, and business was as slow as always. I was crouched behind the counter grabbing a box of supplies to take to the back room when I heard the bells of the doors jingle. I shouted out a greeting from behind the counter and straightened up to see who it was.

"Oh, you again." I frowned at the boy on the other side of the counter, holding a snickers bar in his hand. He gave me this goofy sort of grin as I rang up his candy bar and handed it back. "One thirty five." He handed me two ones, and I quickly counted his change and gave it back, careful not to touch him.

I expected him to leave, but he just pocketed his change and looked at me.  
"So, um, Grace? Right?" He rubbed his neck nervously, and I raised an eyebrow at him. "I was gonna see, if, um, if you're not busy tonigh-"

"Drop it." I cut in, and picked back up my box.

"Aw, come on."

"No."

He pouted and leaned against the counter, and I could feel his eyes on me all the way to the back room, where we kept our stock. I sighed and sat the box in the corner. I didn't come back out until I heard the bells jingle again, and when I came back to the counter, he was gone. Good riddance.

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(Seth)

"She just blew me off." I growled in frustration and plopped down on the couch next to Embry and Quil. I couldn't believe she didn't feel the _connection_ we had. Wasn't our imprint supposed to just love us back? I glared at Emily and Sam in the kitchen, being all affectionate and disgusting. Quil was watching Claire sleep in her playpen by the TV. Apparently he was playing babysitter now.

"Dude, just give her time." Embry said, sinking further into the couch. "She'll come around."

"How do you know?" I shot back, looking at him venomously.

"Yeah, you don't have an imprint." Jared added, coming into the room with Kim at his side. Kim smiled and sat down beside me. Maybe she could help, she was a girl, after all. I looked at her helplessly, and her and the guys all laughed.

"Tell me what's happened so far." So I told her about the day Collin, Brady, and I had gone to Forks, and I had imprinted on Grace. Then I told her about today, and how she had blown me off before I even finished my sentence.

"You're doing it all wrong." Kim furrowed her brows in thought. "What does she look like?"

"She's beautiful." I sighed. I was like some pathetic, lovesick puppy.

"No, what does she _look_ like? What's her style?" I thought about it. Her hair was blonde and black, long, and very edgy looking. She wore eyeliner, but not so thick that it made her look like a clown. Her style was feminine, but hard. She was tough, or at least, thought she was. I relayed those thoughts to Kim, and she smiled.

"She's going to play hard to get. She sounds like the kind of girl who doesn't think she needs a boy, so you're going to have to win her over." Her smile turned into a wide grin. "And she's probably looking for a bad boy."

"And _how_ do I do that?" I frowned .

Jared took that moment to come back into the room with Jacob, both of them wearing flowers from Emily's table centerpiece in their hair. "You have to be _sensitive._" Jared joked, dancing around the room with Jake. I rolled my eyes and pushed him off of me when he leaned on my shoulder.

"Shut up."

Kim chuckled and rolled her eyes at them as well. "Come over tomorrow. I'll make sure you get her."


End file.
